Some basic goods in short supply

Tuesday

Feb 25, 2014 at 12:01 AMFeb 25, 2014 at 11:58 AM

CARACAS, Venezuela - Protests continued across Venezuela yesterday amid increasing reports of police repression and scarcities of basic goods. Vielma Mora, a former army officer who was a longtime supporter of the late President Hugo Chavez, singled out repeated overflights by government fighter jets and called for a change in the military command. In remarks to Radio Onda, he added that he sympathized with marchers' complaints of food scarcities.

Vielma Mora, a former army officer who was a longtime supporter of the late President Hugo Chavez, singled out repeated overflights by government fighter jets and called for a change in the military command. In remarks to Radio Onda, he added that he sympathized with marchers’ complaints of food scarcities.

Such criticism from a political ally suggests a weakening in the strong political and public support that President Nicolas Maduro inherited from Chavez.

Last week, the central bank revised its scarcity index — the proportion of basic foods and household goods that can be considered to be in scarce supply — upward to 28 percent.

Disturbances continued across the country. Many streets in eastern Caracas, the capital, remained blocked with makeshift barricades erected by protesters.

The latest of 13 reported deaths from two weeks of violence was reported in San Cristobal when a man reportedly fell from a second-floor apartment balcony after being shot with rubber bullets by National Guard units. He died of head injuries, according to local hospital officials.

Maduro had called for a meeting yesterday with the nation’s governors and mayors to discuss ways of reducing tensions. But opposition leader Henrique Capriles, a presidential candidate who also is sitting governor of Miranda state, refused to attend.